Bamboo and Environment Conservation

Discussion at wisma PU Yogyakarta, May 17, 2012

“Bamboo” is not a strange word for us. Bamboo has been used since a long time ago for houses many kinds of furniture, agricultural tools, art and handicraft, music instruments, even food. Not only used in construction area and furniture trade, bamboo is also often used in reforestation, water and environment conservation. Although bamboo is very beneficial in our life, unfortunately in fact bamboo has not been the priority plant to be cultivated by Indonesian people.

Knowing and discovering deeper about bamboo and the problems in Indonesia may answer the longing of Christian college students who joined to Bamboo and Environment Conservation discussion held on 17th of May 2012 in Wisma PU Yogyakarta. This Bamboo and Environment Conservation is the part of Bamboo Training Program Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta 2012.

Through this program, Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta had a goal to open students’s insight and skill how to manage and use bamboo maximally, and be able to map problems related with bamboo potency in Indonesia. This Bamboo discussion, attended by 20 participants was started with a topic about Bamboo for Environment Conservation delivered by Herry Subrastowo (a pioneer of environment conservation from Magelang). Herry explained how he initiated society empowerment in Sambak Village, focusing on clean water management and environmental conservation. This environment Conservation in Sambak Village finally made a Bamboo Observer Community. Many interesting questions and arguments colored during the Bamboo Discussion session.

“Bamboo Observer Community provides Sambak Village inhabitants to look at Bamboo as a plant having a high-economic value. One of this community’s care toward bamboo is showed by the activity done in bamboo handicraft area to increase the inhabitants economy. The government at first also had a curiosity about the movement doing by this community. Then they finally turned down directly to the area, made a survey and had a dialogue with the members of this community”, said Mr. Herry answering one of the participant’s question.

The learning process about Bamboo and Environment Conservation became more completed by the coming of Indra Setiawan from Sahabat Bambu Community (Bamboo Practitioner). Indra tried to open the participants’ insight about the riches of bamboo species in Indonesia and other countries. Indra also explained how to conserve and to cultivate bamboo.